The processing of potatoes is an old art. Potato starch and potato fodder protein are the main products obtainable from the crude potato starting material. Potatoes have to be processed shortly after harvesting; otherwise both the starch and the protein are degraded. This means that a potato processing plant is only working around 4 months a year. The remaining part of the year the potato processing plant is shut down.
Obviously, it is a desideratum to put the potato processing plant to a useful purpose during the remaining part of the year, as this would result in a vast economic advantage. However, so far no one has been able to solve this problem.
Thus, it is the purpose of the invention to provide an economically sound method for processing of potatoes, which is carried out in a plant, which can be used for another useful purpose outside the potato season.
Now, surprisingly, according to the invention it has been found that the purpose of the invention can be fulfilled if the potato processing is carried out enzymatically and if the potato processing plant is modified slightly; in this manner the plant can be used for processing of rape outside the potato season, an enzymatic rape process being used. In relation to the invention a special enzymatic rape processing is used, which is well suited for combination with the potato processing.
Also, flax, sunflower, soy beans and other oil containing seeds related to rape, or olive fruit can be substituted for rape in the method, plant and use according to the invention. However, for the sake of brevity, these oil containing crops will be referred to as rape in the following.